Pope Speaks to THE FAMILIES...

 We know that, Pope Francis considers family as a mission and vocation in the life of the Church and the world at large. So, it reflects the mind of the Church as it brings God’s message of Love to the families of today especially to the families that are most in need of help, support and accompaniment.  Well, as every road has two sides, similarly family in its dimension has negative and positive dimensions especially in the contemporary scenario where family at every moment faces threats of violence, poverty, money, media, ideologies and immorality-negativity in the world. All the same it is not proper for the pastors to judge and categorize the families and then condemn them for their state of life. So, Pope Francis invites us all to speak about family on a positive note, especially love in a family dimension by taking Scripture and tradition as the main sources. Thus he invites us all to work for the renewal of families despite biting difficulties, problems and serious issues. Therefore, Pope with his latest and relevant documents offers insights to the pastors, Church leaders and the religious to accompany the families, to offer discernment to the new couples and to support them at times of trail and temptation. So, it is an incentive for the pastors to form a pastoral heart to discern and guide the families with the heart of a prodigal father.     

Pope Francis thus makes an interesting intervention addressing all the families; he describes family as a journey where everyone is invited to journey along not as nomads but as pilgrims. It is his personal appraisal for all his people, particularly the pastors to cultivate a pastoral heart to understand families and the individuals who live in their own contexts without pre-conditions and prejudices. We cannot pigeonhole people on the condition of our expectations. So, to avoid this pessimistic attitude we need to cultivate a good conscience; it is a paramount in moral decision making. At the stage legalism, pessimism and rationalism should be avoided. Instead compassion, understanding and support need to be offered. Thus we as pastors respect the freedom and dignity of the individuals to discern and make a good decision to live well in a family life. Of course accompaniment is a must in this process without any force and imposition of rules and norms. It is because the situations, contexts, traditions cultures and customs of one place are different from another. Therefore, as pastors and educators we need to be prudent and sensitive to the needs of the people. Thus we [pastors] respect all the members of the family. Thus Pope Francis exhorts us to cultivate a merciful heart like God who loves us all despite our limitations and weaknesses. Such pastors do not condemn the people, do not judge them; instead like the catalyst s/he invites all to experience the taste of God’s mercy, goodness and love.

Pastors are therefore, exhorted to go out and meet people where they are and not expecting (them) people to come to their comfort castles and isolated cells. Only by going to the people a pastor can understand the complexities of people in their living situations. This act of a pastor propels him/her to extend one’s hands to help those sheep that need our care, support and love. So, where there is love there is no place for judgments, instead there is love that bears all things like Crucified Jesus who could forgive the people who were mocking, thieves on his right and left, Peter who denied him thrice, disciples who ran for life leaving him alone, Pilate who was self-righteous and those wicked elders who could not stomach Jesus as the son of God, Jesus who forgave the Samaritan, Jesus who gave sight to the Barthimaeus, Jesus the Good Shepherd, Jesus who wept, Jesus who sympathized with people, Jesus who had pity for people, Jesus on the cross, Jesus on the way to Emmaus, Jesus on the sea shore and Jesus who was ascending is our model, example and ideal for the pastoral work. Jesus is the forgiving face of the Father. In Jesus we have forgiveness of our sins. Therefore, let us draw strength from Him to work for the kingdom that Jesus embarked for us. Only in Jesus we have our source of strength and hope. Jesus is the way, truth and the life. For he was at home with the smell of the sheep of his time and like the catalyst liberated the sinners, healed the sick, fed the hungry and raised the dead to life. He was ever connected to His Father who is rich in mercy and love.

Love keeps no score of wrong, and does not gloat over any sort of unpleasant happenings. Just like the love of St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata, despite problems caused by the circumstances and people but her love for Christ was vividly manifested in her deeds for the poor and the sick. Therefore this extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, be a gentle reminder for me and for all of us (clergy and religious) to introspect about not what we are rather where are we?    

  

I would like to tell you the words of Pope Francis: We the Clergy and Religious...Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary enthusiasm! Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of generalization! Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of hope! Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of community! Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the Gospel! Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the ideal of fraternal love! and Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary vigor!. For the words talithacumi meant for a poet, exactly what pope Francis intended in his two documents the Joy of the Gospel and Amoris Laietitia (the joy of love) regarding the role of the Clergy and Religious to Role of the Clergy in Facilitating the Joy of Life and Love in Families.